Alliance Forms to Defend Federal Workforce
September 15, 2011
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The Federal Workers Alliance, a coalition of 22 unions collectively representing over 300,000 federal workers government-wide, are working to defend the federal workforce from irresponsible cuts in the forthcoming congressional ‘super committee’ negotiations.
The initial cuts outlined in phase 1 of the debt ceiling agreement stand to slash hundreds of billions of dollars from federal budgets over the next decade. When the super committee convened for its first public hearing yesterday, the process of identifying an additional $1.2 trillion in cuts began, leaving federal services and the employees who provide them with a very uncertain future. With various proposals targeting federal workers already swirling around Capitol Hill, the FWA stands ready to defend America’s dedicated public servants.
“Federal workers provide invaluable services to the American people every day, and they do it at a tremendous value to the American taxpayer,” said FWA Chairman William R. Dougan, who also serves as National President of NFFE-IAM Federal District 1. “They are the dedicated men and women who care for our veterans, inspect our food, maintain our military readiness, and defend our borders. Slashing billions more will cripple these vital services and do far more damage than good. Federal workers have already sacrificed with a two-year pay freeze and drastically reduced agency budgets. Piling on billions more in cuts will lower morale, stifle federal services, and present a logistical nightmare for federal agencies. It is essential that committee members understand that.
“Federal workers are not going to sit on the sidelines while their jobs and retirement security are up for grabs,” said Dougan. “There is simply too much at stake. We are asking committee members to stand with our nation’s federal employees and make certain they don’t lose the resources they need to keep our promises to the American people.”
For more information on the coalition’s core concerns regarding federal pay, furloughs, workforce reductions, retirement, and health benefits, visit the FWA website at www.federalworkers.org.
